Effect of zirconia on the physicochemical properties of Cu∕ZnO∕Al[sub 2]O[sub 3] catalyst

Abstract

Catalytic hydrogenation of CO2 to liquid fuel using copper based catalyst is an attractive way to recycle and utilize CO2. Zirconia-promoted copper-zinc oxide/alumina catalysts (CZAZ) were prepared by the co-precipitation method. The catalyst was characterized by temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), field emission scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive analysis (FESEM-EDX) and N2 adsorption-desorption. The results showed that addition of ZrO2 reduced the surface area and porosity of the catalyst. The reducibility of the metal oxides formed after calcination of catalyst samples was also affected due to change in metal-support interaction. However the addition of zirconia led to a better dispersion of the active metal on the surface of support material.